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THE NEW CHINESE LOAN,
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
The conclusion by Ching of a loan with the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank and the German Asiatic Bank is, we trust, calculated to clear the political atmosphere. The pospect of Russia's getting China into her financial grip is now removed, at all events for some time to come, and any territorial or other questions that may be pending will have to be discussed on their own merits and not as between an exigeant creditor and helpless debtor. The union of British and German interests which the loan arrange ments seem to imply is also of happy augury and should make for peace. Whether the opening of the inland waters to foreign and native steamers, which is also loan does not appear. Such a concession announced, is a direct condition of the
might be obtained independently, but the probable object is to find increased revenue as security for the loan. The opening of the waterways necessarily implica the extension of the foreign Customs Service and The abolition or regulation of the lekin system. There will be many difficulties to overcome, as is proved by the experience of the opening of the West River, but under the new order foreign
trade will inevitably enjoy a large expansion. It is possible that in the running of small | steamers and launches the Chinese will ultimately monopolise the business in the same way as they command the greater part of the launch business in our own harbour, but the launches will convey foreign goods to remote markets at present almost untouched and bring back native produce for shipment abroad, thus increasing the import and export trade of the country, to the benefit of Hongkong and the treaty ports.
RAILWAY INTO YUNNAN.
THE OPENING OF HUNAN,
[February 23, 1893.
It would also benefit this colony and give, possessed neither, and these abominable Cantonese. Moreover, it is specially within massacre at Kucheng-which no doubt was employment to great numbers of the outrages and the subsequent frightful the sphere of British influence, and no one the direct fruit of that criminal inaction- could have any grounds for opposing it. If have never been atoned for. Possibly it Russia is to be allowed to make the rail-may, have dawned on Lord SALISBURY'S ways through Manchuria, Germany those mind that it is not yet too late to exact through Shantung, and France to continue some tardy compensation for those great the Tonkin lines into Kwangsi, what more wrongs. It will be well, howeyer, not to natural than that Great Britain should expect much, for it seems impossible for the construct the line from the Yangtsze to the British Foreign Office to stick to a demand colony of Hongkong?
when made, however just and no matter how moderate it may be. Meantime - there is no doubt that the opportunity has arrived. There may be some difficulties in the way, but them, and if Lord SALISBURY can for once diplomacy ought to show an opening through
is going to rely on the gratitude of the Chi- rise to the occasion he may do much for both England and China. If, however, he
faith, he will assuredly, as our Yankee nese Government or place trust in its good
The only kinsmen would say, get left. policy, in the present juncture of affairs in being greedy, to take effective steps to the Far East, is for Great Britain, without preserve her trade and maintain her prestige. The opening up of the interior of China is a good step in this direction.
It is satisfactory to find that the British Government are negotiating for the opening to foreign trade and navigation of the Human. Reuter mentions Yuen Chow, but inland waters of China, and of a port in
no doubt what is intended is Yoehow Fu
THE A TEQPIUM SOCIETY.
and the Siang branch of the Yangtze river So far back as 1895 Sir THOMAS WADE asked for this port to be opened, but the Hunan officials nad influence enough at Peking to secure a vet on this request. Circumstances have changed since the however, and the fluuanese have probably come to think differently. In any case the Peking Government are now less likely to refuse the demand in order to oblige the Hunan mandarins. Yochow is the true gate of this great inland waterway. It is situated at the entrance to
the Tung-
Nothing dies harder than a mania, es- ting Lake, through which the Siang pecially if that mania takes the form of flows to join the main waters of the working for the supposed good of others. Yangtsze. It has, like all Hunanese The various societics for converting Jews towns, in past tinies had an unenviable and other Eastern people from the faiths or notoriety for hostility to foreigners. The creeds they have held for the past two or city occupies an elevated and pictu-
three thousand years, for dressing savages resque site, and presents a rather imposing in the clothes of modern civilisation, for appearance from the water. Within the compelling the public to practice total walls there are only the official buildings, abstinence from alcoholic drinks, for making - some temples, and a few residences; the
men continent by act of Parliament, or for THE EXTENSION OF THE BURMAH | shops and business streets are, as is almost depriving the Chinese of their chief stimu- invariably the case in China, outside the lant, these flourish and endure, no matter walls, in a suburb on the south side. Of how often rebuffed, and regardless of The extension of the Burmah railway into late years Yochow has been quieter than financial stress or national complications. Yunnan, which has now been agreed to by formerly, and has been visited by several It might, however, readily have been sup- the Chinese Government, will be of consi-
missionaries without their receiving molest-posed, after the result of the Royal Commis- derable importance from a political point of ation or insult. It is to be hoped, how- sion of Inquiry into the Opium Trade-and es view, though it is to be feared that it will ever, that Yochow is not the sole port it is pecially now that it is a well known fact, which be a long time before the line will prove intended to open. The Siang should be has even reached the dull ears and unwilling a financial success. Yunnan is a thinly opened as far as Hengelow, and the cities sight of the fanatical disciples of Saint populated and malarious province, given up of Siangyin, Changsha (the capital of PEASE, that China produces the larger chiefly to the cultivation of the poppy, and Hunan), Siangtan, and Hengchow should be proportion of the opium smoked in that is so mountainous that the construction of a made Treaty ports. Siangtan more
Empire-that the Anglo-Oriental Society for railway will be a difficult and costly under pecially, which lies about one hundred and the Suppression of the Opium Trade would taking. But if Great Britain's policy is to ten miles up the river from Yochow, have been glad to retire into the obscurity be directed to the preserving of China's iu- should be opened, as it is said to be from which it 50 causelessly sprang. tegrity it is of importance that she should scarcely inferior as a trading mart to Han- Such is not the case. Though we hear secure easy means of access to the south kow in size and importance. It stretches
somewhat less nowadays about these western portion of the Empire and ac along the left bank of the river for fatuous fanatics they still exist as quire substantial interests there to coun some six miles, and boats lie auchored in
blatant body, eagerly waiting for some ter-balance the activity and ambitions of rows four or five deep along the whole
new opportunity to force themselves and France in that region, a region which frontage. The landing places are numer-
their misstatements upon a longsuffering French expansionists are accustomed to ous and large, spaces round them afford public. Only so recently as the 12th regard as a future addition to the Indo-great convenience for the loading and un-
ultimo, the members of the Society met at Chinese dominions of their country. Whey loading of cargo. If the ports above men-
breakfast at the Cannon Street Hotel, Lan- the railway has penetrated Yuunan from tioned were opened, with the aid of the don, under the presidency of the Rev. Dr. Burmah it will in course of time be carried transit pass system or sonic system in lieu of MOULE, Principal of Ridley Hall, Cam- across the province into Kwangsi and down lekin taxation, there would be no difficulty bridge. It is charitably to be hoped that the valley of the West River to Canton. in sending foreign goods to all the principaling, a meeting of old acquaintances in the the meeting was really a little social gather-
CS-
trade centres of Hunan. But Yochow Fu alone would be of doubtful utility, since it is merely the gate of Hunan: we should ob- tain access to the heart of this important province.
We will then have a fulfilment of the scheme agitated thirty-five years ago for the establishment of railway communication between Calcutta and Canton, A railway would also help Yunnan to recover more rapidly from the effects of the wars that As our readers may remember, it was have desolated the province. Under the most proposed in 1892 that Hunan, its rivers favourable circumstances, however, it will and ports, should be opened to foreign trade be a long time before the railway, if made, as some reparation for the murders and will be able to pay its working expenses. outrages British subjects in various A work of more immediate utility would be towns of the Yangtsze Valley in 1890-91.. a railway from Kowloon to Hankow. Had the then British Government shown
on
This would be an enterprise worth under-the least backbone or determination the taking and cortain to prove remunerative.demand would have been conceded, but it
a
metropolis, the excuse given being business of the Anti-Opium Society. Or perhaps it meal, to galvanise a moribund institution was really a genuine attempt, after a good
and a lost cause into life and movement
again. At any rate a resolution was, we learn from the Times, moved by another rev. gentleman, Prebendary WEbb-Peploe to the following effect:- "This meeting,
after hearing statements as to the effect of "the opium habit in China, from trust- worthy Englishmen, long resident there and intimately versed in the social life”
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